Atari Mega Archive 1/Atari Mega Archive - Volume 1.iso/music/gigmus14.arc/GIGAMUS.TXT

Text File | 1992-11-28 | 6KB | 131 lines

Documentation file
for: GigaMusic v1.4
by : Vincent Partington, 10/10/1992

Welcome to the documentation to GigaMusic v1.4. GigaMusic is a very small
program to play all kinds of music formats IN THE BACKGROUND. The reason
it's so small, is not because it doesn't do anything, but because
assembler allows for very small programs!

GigaMusic can be be run as either a program or as a desk accessory. To run
it as a program, rename it to "GIGAMUS.PRG" and double click it. To run it
as a desk accessory, rename it to "GIGAMUS.ACC" and put it in the main
directory of the drive you boot from (i.e. A:\ or C:\). Only when
GigaMusic has been installed as a desk accessory music can be played in
the background.

GigaMusic is very easy to use. Just follow the alert boxes. For example,
when you click on the load button, you are presented with the file
selector and you can select your music file. When a file has been loaded
GigaMusic automatically recognizes the type of the music file.

The music formats GigaMusic recognizes are:
- Mad Max (normal and digidrum),
- Count Zero (normal and ripped with the Fuzion Mega Ripper)
- OffBeat/Big Alec
- Dave Whittaker
- Synthdream (with samples!)
- TriSound/TriMod
  (TriSound music converted with Eagle of Sentry's TriMod, with samples!)
  (BTW: TriSound is the best sound editor ever made, but I guess you could
  say I'm not objective, 'cause I made it :-)

However, since all of these music formats have no real specific header, be
careful to select only files of which you are certain they are music
files. If you're not certain, find out on the desktop, not when you have
just finished a 200Kb assembler listing and you haven't saved for three
hours. ;-)

However simple GigaMusic is to use, still a few things need explaining:

1. If you go into the select menu (this only appears when you have loaded
any music file except a digidrum or synthdream file) and you click on
previous while at music number 0, the music will be switched off and the
music number will be 'None'.

2. When you have loaded a digidrum or synthdream music, it can't be played
while you do anything else, since digidrum and synthdream music files
block the operating system. Instead of the Select button, the Play button
will appear. When you click this, the music starts playing. The mouse is
blocked. The stop playing, press space, to select a music number, use the
cursor keys. Sometimes the music will automatically stop. This is because
an error was detected in the music file.

3. The Buffer field tells you if an additional memory buffer was used
because a file was to big for GigaMusic's internal buffer (25KB). If it
says 'Y' an additional memory buffer was used. An additional memory buffer
will be cleared whenever you click on Load or on Quit.

4. The Pack field if the music file you have loaded was packed with the
brilliant Ice packer. GigaMusic can unpack such files automatically so
that you can compress all your music files and save a lot of space on your
disks. Preferably use Ice version 2.40 because GiaMusic has been tested
with that version of Ice and it is better than older versions anyway.

5. With TriSound/TriMod you cannot select a music number, instead the
number you choose in the music-select-field, is the mode in which the
music will be replayed. Refer to the docs that go with TriMod for these
modes. Normally, mode 1 will be OK.

6. GigaMusic now supports the incredible GMUS-protocol. With this other
programs can pass filenames of musicfiles on to GigaMusic. The first
program to use this protocol is PLAYMUS which has been included in this
package. It is very simple, all it does is pass the filename it finds on
the command line on to GigaMusic. The best use for it is to install it as
an application that wants files with the extension .MUS (TOS >= 2.06,
Neodesk, Gemini, Teradesk, Ease). This way you can play a musicfile by
doubleclicking it in the desktop! It's as simple as that!
Programmers that want a description of the GMUS-protocol can write me.
I'll be happy to supply them with the necessary information.

I realize that some people might not have any of files of the formats I
described above, so I decided to put a few music files with this program.
I DID NOT MAKE THEM! I am not saying this because I don't like them but
because the right person ought to be credited. Of every music format there
is at least one file.

I'd like to thank the following people:
- Pascal Haakmat for his support, suggestions and bug-reporting,
- Mad Max and Jochen Hippel for being the same person and making such nice
  music files with the drivers in them and setting a standard.
- Count Zero, Big Alec of OffBeat, Dave Whittaker and SynthDream for also
  making such nice music files.
- Eagle of Sentry for making TriMod and thereby actually doing the work I
  should have done: make replay routs for my TriSound Sequencer.
- And my mum and dad for making me.

And greetings go to (in particular order):
Mickey Smid (a.k.a MIQ), Gijs v/d Hammen, Michiel Krop (a.k.a WIZ a.k.a
Nao of Realm), Arjen Wagenaar, Diederik Hoogenboom, Sasja Barentsen, Mario
van den Heuvel, Steve Basford, Mark Matts, Steve Caple, Joop Koopman, Erno
Meffert, Mark Wielaard, Derrick Puckett

GigaMusic v1.4 is shareware. It may be freely copied and spread. However,
if you like this program, please consider sending me fl10 or 10DM or $5 or
£3, since I REALLY like money.
GigaMusic may not be put in a PD library without me getting 50% of the
profits.
GigaMusic may not be put on a disk that goes with a magazine without me
getting some sort of financial retribution!!

If you have a music file format that is not yet supported by GigaMusic:
please send it in! I cannot build in the format if I haven't got files to
test it.

Send your money, suggestions, questions and bug-reports to:
Vincent Partington
Lindenlaan 637
1185 LZ Amstelveen
Holland

or:

FidoNet: 2:281/202.15
NeST:    90:4001/202.15


Ta!
    Vincent, 10/10/1992